Kingdom Hearts: Noah's Saga
by Mazuka
Summary: Tossed into a mess he hadn’t the slightest clue about, Noah has been chosen to be the new keyblade weilder and must save the worlds from a new evil. Set years after Sora’s era, Noah must learn to be a hero and save Kingdom Hearts...
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE **

_Since the dawn of time, all things have been set in black and white, good and evil, right and wrong. At first there was no grey, no in betweens. All was as it was intended to be. Everyone followed strict rules and questioned nothing. Through the generations, though, people and creatures alike grew more and more curious of life and all that it held. This curiosity developed into the grey medium we know of between the lines. And through the grey came question Questions that divided the people and creatures for each side had their own answers. Through that Light and Darkness was born. Kingdom Hearts was born. _

_An all powerful being created a key to locking the door to darkness, and unlocking Kingdom Hearts. This key was called the Keyblade for it was used to fight special creatures as well. It chose its wielder from generation to generation. The first known Keyblade wielder was none other than Sora, a young boy searching for new worlds and soon after his own friends. The light in his heart was able to overcome the darkness and that attracted the Keyblade to him…and then the Heartless—those without hearts—were seeking to take the chosen ones' heart. _

_Sora overcame many obstacles. He defeated the all powerful being seeking to take Kingdom Hearts—Ansem. He was studying the Heartless before he found out about Kingdom Hearts then sought to control the Heartless in order to gain more power and knowledge. Sora also faced his best friend who had been tempted by darkness and the evil characters seeking to gain Kingdom Hearts. They captured the seven Disney Princesses for their hearts held the key to unlocking Kingdom Hearts. Kairi, Sora and Riku's other best friend, was taken as the seventh Princess. Sora sacrificed himself to save her…and in turn became a Heartless himself. Though Kairi was able to bring him back with her own heart. Sora defeated Maleficent—who captured and manipulated the entire thing behind the scenes. _

_Sora had been joined by Donald and Goofy, two characters who were order by King Mickey to find the chosen one and aid him on his perilous journey. They found the door to darkness as well as King Mickey and Riku, who had finally realized what his true purpose was. Together they sealed the door to the darkness—along with King Mickey and Riku inside. Sora had been separated from Kairi as well…who had been sent back to their home— Destiny Island. _

_Sora went on to continue his journey to stopping evil and the darkness as it had made a few more attempts to take control. Organization XIII was a group he had faced on his journey to finding Riku and King Mickey and then returning home to Kairi. He defeated them and during that time had discovered a place called Twilight Town…different from any of the other worlds he had been to and sealed. A girl named Naminé found Sora during his confrontation with Organization XIII. Riku had learned that Ansem resided with him and he was soon replicated. Riku chose to fight the replica and DIZ—an enigmatic man who was pulling the strings behind the scenes—pulls him Ansem from his heart. After defeating him, __Riku learns that as long as he has darkness at his command, Ansem still resides within him. He sets out with King Mickey as his companion. Meanwhile, Sora was put into a very deep sleep so that Naminé could restore his memories. _

_A year later, DIZ was actively plotting something. A boy named Roxas had been discovered and was having fun with his friends at the end of their summer vacation, when a series of odd events unfolded, all manipulated by DIZ and continually interrupted by Axel, a member of Organization XIII. Roxas fought new creatures called Nobodies, learning that he was the new wielder of the Keyblade and that he wasn't who he was led to believe that he was. His life in Twilight Town was a lie—it was all virtual. He himself was a Nobody, Sora's Nobody created when he gave up his heart for Kairi. And Naminé was Kairi's Nobody, able to manipulate and restore Sora's memories though Sora would not be complete without Roxas. Roxas was also the former 13th member of the Organization and Axel's best friend. He discovers all this rather quickly and is soon returned to Sora who awakens with his memories—to find Donald and Goofy who had also been asleep for a year. _

_The battle for Kingdom Hearts continues as evil rises once again and new worlds are jeopardized. Sora, Donald, and Goofy woke up in the real Twilight Town and King Mickey Mouse and Yen Sid sent them on another journey. Their goal was to find Riku and stop the plans of Organization XIII, who controlled the Nobodies—the body and soul left over when a heart is turned into a Heartless. Sora also received a new set of clothes that allowed him to fuse with party members to gain special abilities, known as Drive Form. Afterwards, Maleficent was resurrected and joined with Pete to continue her quest for power. _

_Sora traveled to many worlds, both old and new, and resolved the troubles caused by Organization XIII, the Heartless, Maleficent and Pete, and local villains. Meanwhile, Kairi was kidnapped by Organization XIII. During a visit to Hollow Bastion, they again met King Mickey, who revealed the true nature of Ansem. The Ansem who Sora defeated was actually the Heartless of Xehanort, a student of Ansem the Wise. Xemnas, the leader of Organization XIII, revealed himself to be the Nobody of Xehanort. Organization XIII's plan was revealed: they seek the power of Kingdom Hearts, which is the sum of all the hearts that Sora released by destroying the Heartless with his Keyblade. Sora then revisited the worlds to solve lingering problems and new complications, while seeking a path to Organization XIII's base of operations. _

_Through a passageway in the virtual Twilight Town, Sora, Donald, and Goofy arrived at the World That Never Was, the headquarters of Organization XIII, with Kingdom Hearts looming overhead. There, Sora found Kairi and Riku, who revealed the nature of Sora's and Roxas' relationship. Mickey met DiZ, who finally revealed himself to be Ansem the Wise. Ansem used a device that dissipated some of Kingdom Hearts' power, but a system overload caused the machine to explode and kill him. At the top of Organization XIII's castle, Sora and his friends battled Xemnas, who used the remnants of Kingdom Hearts to power his multiple forms. After Xemnas' death, Sora and Riku were reunited with their friends a Destiny Islands. Sora, Kairi and Riku read a mysterious letter stamped with King Mickey's seal and it seemed as though all was well. _

_It's been five years since then. No one has heard from or seen Sora, Riku, or Kairi since then. In fact, most haven't even heard of the epic battles and adventures of the group. Most of that has been kept a secret to preserve and protect the order of the worlds. They've been disconnected yet again to help the cause as well. Now, Noah and his friends are unsuspecting of the danger to come. Little do they know that a new power is working behind the scenes in order to disturb the peace in the worlds yet again. Who knows what's in store for these four unknowing teens. Will they prevail and save the order of things or will evil finally come out on top once the dust clears? What paths will they choose to follow? Will they follow their hearts or their heads? Who knows? But the worlds depend on one boy in particular…and Sora is no where to be found…_


	2. Chapter 1: Dreamer's Antics

Chapter 1: Dreamer's Antics

"Do you remember?" A voice asked.

"Huh? Remember what?" The voice of a boy replied.

"Do you remember?" The voice repeated.

"…I don't know what you're talking about…" The boy answered.

"Do you remember who you are?" The voice inquired.

"Of course I do!" The boy shouted offensively.

"Who are you?" The voice speculated.

"Well, I uh…" The boy began. "I'm--"

"You don't remember who you are Noah?" The voice questioned the confused boy.

"Noah? That's my name…then why don't I recognize it? Why can't I remember?" The boy, Noah, sighed. "How do you know who I am?" He asked.

"I don't."

"Then how'd you know my name? Why did you know my name?" Noah grew frustrated.

"You told me." The voice stated calmly.

"Who ARE you?" Noah was growing increasingly agitated.

"It's time to wake up Noah." The voice whispered.

"What?" Noah asked in confusion. Although, before he could react, he woke up and his eyes blinked open. Noah sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes sleepily. It was still the middle of the night. Moonlight spilled into his room from between the blinds of his window, faintly illuminating it. "What was that?" He asked himself aloud, looking over at his digital clock. "2:00am?" He groaned, lying back down in his bed. He stared up at his ceiling in darkness, pondering the odd dream he had just awoken from. He soon drifted back to sleep.

Noah woke up on a large platform. The colors were dulled out and the entire platform was surrounded by darkness. There was a picture within the floor of the platform. It was of two boys, seemingly floating with their backs to one another. The image of a keyhole separated the two boys and there were feathers all around them. Noah observed the image closer, studying each boy individually. He gasped as he gazed upon the boy floating on the left in the picture. "He looks just like me!" He exclaimed, taking a few steps back to get a better view of the entire picture.

Not realizing just how close he was to the edge of the platform, "Whoa!" Noah shrieked as he nearly stumbled backward off of it; but he managed to catch his balance enough to throw himself forward onto his hands and knees. His heart was pounding in his throat. "That was…close…" He gulped, pushing himself to his feet. He took a cautious step toward the edge, stretching his neck out to peer over the side to see just how far he would've fallen. "No bottom?"

"Or is there?" A voice spoke from behind him.

Noah's eyes widened. "The voice from my dream!" He nearly choked on the words he had blurted out as he turned around to face the culprit.

"Yes." The voice replied.

Noah was taken back as he found no one when he turned around. He searched for a bit to try and scope out the being from his dream. He was unsuccessful though. He was the only one there. He sighed in disappointment and took a few steps away from the edge. "Maybe I'm hearing things."

"Do you really believe that?" The voice questioned from behind him once again.

Noah gasped and whirled around. A hooded figure dressed in a long black cloak stood a few feet from him. "Who are you?" Noah asked. There was no response. "Tell me who you are! What do you want from me!?" He was growing impatient. "What do you want with me!?" He growled, clenching his fists. "Answer me!" Noah demanded. Still, no reply. "Why won't you answer me!? Who are you!?" He lurched forward, charging toward the hooded figure.

The mysterious figure vanished just as Noah was about to make contact and tackle him to the platform in order to gain control of the situation and get some answers. Noah immediately leapt to his feet. "What!? Where'd he go!? He couldn't have just disappeared…could he? What's going on?"

"Behind you!" The voice boomed.

Noah whirled around angrily. "Stop playing games with!—me…" Noah's jaw dropped as he was overcome with a state of shock. In the center of the platform stood the cloaked figure, only his hood was down. He was Noah. "You're me? But how could that be? I'm me." He froze. His heart was pounding. "How…?

In an instant the other, _imposter_ Noah darted forward, grasping Noah's throat in one hand. He lifted Noah off of his feet above the platform. Noah clasped the other Noah's wrist in both hands, trying to pry himself away from the hostile being. "It's useless to resist me!" The imposter Noah snarled, tightening his grip on Noah's neck.

Noah grunted, choking slightly. He took quick, sharp breaths as his airway was being constricted. His grip on the imposter Noah's wrist loosened. He began to grow light-headed. "W-Why…?" He forced out in a whisper.

The other Noah sneered. "You've forgotten!? Then allow me to remind you!" He growled, throwing Noah backwards off of the platform.

Noah tried to scream as he plummeted head-first into the black oblivion; but he couldn't. Nothing would come out of his mouth. No words; not even a sound. He couldn't fathom what was going on.

The next thing Noah knew he was in his bed. His eyes shot open in the darkness, quickly adjusting to the faint light that poured into his room through the blinds of his window. He was breathing heavily; sweat drops dotted his forehead and ran down his face and neck. "It was just…a dream?" He sat up in confusion. "No. It had to be real. It felt _real_." He sighed, tossing the blanket off of him to the end of the bed. It was dawn, barely seven o'clock.

He got up out of bed and drew the blinds of his window, peering out into the quiet streets. His room overlooked most of Silvervale. It was so still. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and pulled the white t-shirt he had worn to bed over his head. He tossed the sweat-soaked shirt to the floor by the end of his bed. All the while, he pondered the meaning of the dream and events that followed. He ran a hand through his light brown, messy hair then decided to take a shower.

In the shower, Noah stood facing the shower-head, allowing the cool water to douse his head and the back of his neck and run-down his face and body. His mind continually wandered over the events that had taken place. After he had finished showering, he dried himself off and got dressed in his usual outfit. It included a white tank top with a zip-up, collared, short-sleeve shirt over it that was black with dark red stitching. He had baggy pants that were half black and half tan with a grey belt that was attached to the belt loops of the pants. He slipped on his black vans-styled sneakers that had a purposely faded and messed up white checkered pattern on both sides of each shoe; and tied the black laces into double knots to ensure they didn't untie or loosen throughout the day. He always had a black wristband on his right wrist and two rings on his left hand, a solid black band on his index finger, and a solid dark red band on his second finger.

Noah grabbed the towel and blue pajama pants that he'd previously been wearing, and threw them at the end of his bed on top of the t-shirt he took off before his shower. He went back into the bathroom that was attached to his rather large room and cleared a spot on the steamy mirror in order to see his head so he could fix his hair. He ran a comb through his wet, sleek hair first. He then plugged in a blow-dryer and proceeded to dry his hair, running his fingers through it to style it as it dried. His light brown hair was soft and unique, able to spike messily yet adequately, without any product put in it whatsoever. Noah liked his hair, he liked himself. Once satisfied, he put everything away and wiped down the mirror and sink counter so his mom wouldn't yell at him for being a slob.

Afterwards, he silently made his way out of his room and midway down the hallway to the stairs where he made his way down to the kitchen. It was still rather early so his adoptive parents were still in bed and the house was so quiet and covered in shadow, though not eerily. Noah let out a small yawn as he crept across the tiled kitchen floor. He opened the fridge and pulled out a mostly empty carton of ice cold milk and drank it straight from the container. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand after he finished off the carton then threw the empty container away in the trash. Noah then went over to the pantry and opened the door, observing its contents and pondering what he wanted to have for breakfast. An idea struck him suddenly. He didn't want an amateur, boring bowl of cereal or pop-tarts that morning. He wanted a _real_ breakfast.

So, Noah went and got out a pound of bacon, half a dozen eggs, some bread, and an assortment of ingredients in order to make pancakes. He grabbed out a big plastic bowl and large spoon for mixing, a spatula, two frying pans, and a measuring cup. He turned two of the stove burners on to allow them time to preheat while he combined the ingredients for the pancakes in a bowl. He poured in the pancake mixed, then cracked a few eggs into the mix, measured out the amount of milk he'd need, then poured that in as well. He also poured in some cinnamon to add extra flavor. After thoroughly mixing the batter, he poured enough of the batter into one of the pans to fit the center and proceeded to place a few strips of bacon onto the other empty pan. He took extra care when flipping the pancakes; he wanted them to turn out perfect. He was picky about that sort of thing. He set three places at the table, for himself and parents. He knew they'd wake up to the sweet scent of breakfast.

After fixing all the pancakes and bacon, Noah fried up some eggs as well, making a few different kinds of omelets, sunny-side up eggs, and scrambled eggs as well. He threw some bread into the toaster and poured himself a big glass of orange juice. Once everything was done, Noah fixed all of the plates. He gave himself a stack of four pancakes, two pieces of toast, a bunch of bacon strips, and some scrambled eggs as well. He loved to eat, especially breakfast foods…he was like a black hole, able to devour anything put in front of him. That always amused and amazed his mother, as well as his friends and just about everyone else in town. For his mother, Noah put a fruit omelet, two pancakes, and a few pieces of bacon. He set out a mug for his mother. He place two sunny-side ups eggs on his father's plate, along with some bacon, toast, and a few pancakes too. Again, Noah wasn't sure exactly what his adoptive father would want to drink so he just left that up to him to decide.

He then heard his parents stirring upstairs. Like every morning, his father always smashed into the end table beside the door of their bathroom, causing a somewhat loud clatter and series of mutters. Noah chuckled to himself every single time. He always gave his father a hard time about it too. It was so easy to poke fun at him…he was rather goofy. Noah shook his head after hearing his father upstairs then sat down at the end of the table, farthest from the stairs, where he usually sat.

His mother came down first. Luckily, he hadn't forgotten to put on a pot of coffee for her. She looked a bit dreary still. "Hey mom!" Noah greeted her cheerfully. She smiled warmly at him and hugged him in his seat as she made her way to the brewing coffee pot. Noah handed his mother her mug and she poured herself a full cup of scolding hot, black coffee. Noah couldn't understand why his mother liked her coffee black. He thought it tasted disgusting and was much too strong for him. He never bothered her with the dumb question though. She like her coffee the way she liked it, black, end of story.

"Yeah. Your father was just snoring impossibly loud again." She replied with a smile. Noah laughed. "How about you? You're up mighty early this morning. Did you sleep alright?" She raised a brow at him, making an attempt to drink her coffee.

"Eh. I had some trouble, but it's fine." He responded with a shrug.

A series of thuds came from the stairs as Noah's father proceeded down them at full speed. "Wow! Something smells great!" He exclaimed excitedly upon reaching the bottom and approaching the table. His eyes lit up at the sight of breakfast already made and dished out.

"Noah fixed breakfast this morning." Noah's mother said to her husband as she sat down at her usual seat beside Noah.

"Really? What's the occasion, sport?" He questioned his adopted son. "Was there an apocalypse while we were sleeping?" He joked, getting the iced tea out of the fridge. He sat down across from Noah, beside his wife and poured himself a glass.

"Very funny." Noah rolled his eyes then chuckled at his father. "No occasion though. I just woke up early and decided I wanted to make an awesome breakfast." He said with a smile as he took a bite of his bacon. "What about you? Did you lose to the end table again this morning dad?" Noah joked, getting revenge on his father for his bit of humor aimed at Noah only mere seconds before. Noah's father gave him a look then admitted defeat as he just smiled and shook his head, stuffing some toast in his mouth to avoid having to respond. He knew Noah would win that battle; he always did.

Noah got up and got the syrup out of the pantry. "I knew I was forgetting something." He said to himself as he closed the door back behind him and returned to the table. He smothered his stack of pancakes in the maple syrup then set the bottle down in the middle of the table. He cut a chunk of the pancakes with his fork then shoved the stacked pieces in his mouth, chewing quietly yet thoroughly satisfied with the results of his cooking. He washed the pancakes down with some orange juice soon after he had put them in his mouth. He was very hungry, particularly early in the morning.

"You rock. But you already know that." His father laughed, beginning to eat his eggs and dip his toast in them joyfully.

"Noah, you're the best son a mother could have." His mother chimed in, having woken up a bit from her coffee. She nudged him with her hand then started to eat her omelet.

Noah loved his parents very much and he knew they loved him too. He was always happy with them and he never did anything to upset them really. Though, lately it seemed as though they were struggling with one another. They argued a bit, more then they had ever before. It was mostly about money. Noah's father needed a better job…or at least to stand up to his current boss who kept slapping him with cruddy work. He is one of their best workers and has been there longer then almost everyone there. He was pretty much friends with his boss for crying out loud. He was just too nice a guy to say anything. He was always that way. Noah's mother was much more assertive than him.

Noah tried his best to ignore their fighting and act as though it didn't exist. Like it was all just a bad dream he needed to wake up from. But his dreams lately have been repeatedly reminding him that it wasn't all just a dream. Those dreams were just that though, dreams. Up until that last one. He didn't talk about his dreams, or his parents' arguing to anybody. Not even his closest friends, which he regretted sometimes, but on the inside he somehow knew it was all for the best. He was having bigger problems at the moment anyway. Like the dreams he kept having. He didn't know why either.

Noah wolfed down every bit of food on his plate and even helped himself to seconds, shoveling a pile of food onto his plate to devour. After his father had finished eating, he went and got ready for work. His mood drastically changed to dismay as he finished his pleasant breakfast with his family. He murmured lowly so that Noah wouldn't hear him and unhappily made his way back upstairs, shuffling his feet as he did so. His mother was off that day. She cleared the table once everyone was done and then went to watch her morning shows in the living room. Noah went back upstairs to his room and got on his computer to type and look up some things pertaining to his strange dreams. He wanted answers.

"See you guys later!" Noah's father called on his way out the kitchen door for work.

"Bye Hun!" His mother called after him.

Noah leapt up from his computer chair and darted to his window. He opened the window and stuck his head out. "Later dad!" Noah shouted to his father as he grabbed the newspaper off of the driveway by his truck. His father waved to him with the newspaper before getting into his truck and starting the engine. Noah stayed at the window and watched his father pull away with a slight sigh.

"Hey Noah!" A voice called to him from just outside his window. Noah's head snapped up. "Come on, we don't have all day you know!"

"I'll be right down Jack!" Noah called down to his best friend excitedly. They had planned out a full day a few nights beforehand and had a lot to do. It was nearing the end of summer vacation after all.

"Hurry up! Riley and Kaycee are already waiting for us at the fort!" Jack shouted back up.

"I'm coming, calm down! They won't leave without us so quit worrying so much!" Noah yelled back as he ran out of his room and down the stairs. "Bye mom! I'm going with Jack!" He yelled as he practically flew out the kitchen door, nearly bowling over Jack as he did so. The screen door slammed shut behind him. "What are you waiting for? Come on!" Noah called over his shoulder to Jack as he raced past him.

"Hey!" Jack shouted at Noah as he chased after him. "Wait up man!"

"Not a chance!" Noah teased with a laugh, dashing down the street with Jack trailing not far behind him.


	3. Chapter 2: A Boy Thing

Chapter 2: A Boy Thing

"What's taking those two knuckle-heads so long?" Riley huffed, slightly annoyed by the delay. He exhaled in frustration and crossed his arms across his chest. "We don't have time to wait on them. I'm going to leave without them if they don't get here soon."

"No you won't, Riley. You wouldn't leave them behind." Kaycee assured him. "I won't leave them and you and I both know you certainly would never leave me behind to wait for them alone. They'll be here any minute. Don't get yourself all worked up, there's time." She smiled, getting up out of her seat. She walked across the dusty floor and playfully punched him in the arm. "Why are you so impatient for anyway? It's not like you to let something like this bug you."

"It's nothing, I'm fine." He brushed off her comments like they didn't exist.

Kaycee gave him a look that said 'yeah right' and shook her head. "Whatever you say, Captain." She teased, poking him in the center of the chest. He rolled his eyes and sighed, trying to ease up a bit.

Then suddenly, Noah burst through the makeshift, wooden screen door of the fort, followed soon after by Jack. "Ha, ha! I beat you again!" Noah shouted in triumph. He was panting heavily as he doubled over onto the sandy floor.

Jack was completely out of breath as well, bent over with his hands on his knees to keep himself up. "…You…got…lucky…" He said through each exasperated breath.

"Hooray! They're here!" Kaycee cheered, throwing her arms up then giggling at the two boys out of breath.

"Good, now we can go." Riley said as he grabbed his pack and keys.

Noah and Jack both whined as they were still trying to steady their breathing enough to get up. "Oh come on you lazy bums!" Kaycee giggled, helping Noah up off the floor. "Now look what you've done, silly. You're all dusty." She pointed out and reprimanded him half-jokingly then brushed him off.

Noah smiled, finally catching his breath. "Thanks Kace." He responded, also brushing himself off.

"Let's go guys!" Riley called as he walked out the fort door.

The fort was a rather large shack they all built out of scrap metal and wood on the deserted street at the northwest edge of town. Nobody really knew why it was abandoned, but all the cement buildings were empty and condemned. It wasn't a creepy street or anything. In fact, it stood on the second highest peak of the town and got a ton of sunlight. They built their fort between two of the buildings, in the shade so the metal wouldn't heat up too much in the summer. The fort didn't have a floor so it was just light brown dust, but they didn't mind it. It was surprisingly cozy, being pretty decently insulated. They had dug out a trench around the front of the fort so that rain wouldn't get inside and make it muddy and also created a simple drain system. They also built the roof of metal, with its own little gutter system. Inside they had two battery-powered lamps hanging on hooks in opposite corners of the ceiling to illuminate the entire inside. Over the years they had accumulated a bunch of old furniture from the townspeople to fill the shack comfortably. And they also brought some of their own stuff. They were all thoroughly satisfied with the results of their fort. It's held up for years. Even the storm door remained that they had to re-seal each year and bolt shut so that nothing could get in. They each had their own key to the place too.

"Hey, wait for us!" Jack called, quickly following him out the door.

"I guess we'd better go too." Kaycee said to Noah with shrug and a smile. She then turned and ran out the door. "Coming!"

Noah grabbed his pack from one of the hooks on the wall and turned to leave. He stopped dead in his tracks though, being confronted by yet another black cloaked figure with its hood up. Remembering precisely what had happened earlier that morning, Noah braced himself and clenched the strap of the pack in one of his fists. "What do you want?" He demanded to know of the mysterious figure.

"The door, Noah. The door is open." The hooded figure spoke, although his voice was not the same as the one from his dream or even the same as the imposter Noah he had encountered.

"What door? What are you talking about?" Noah questioned the figure calmly, holding his ground.

"The door to the light. Kingdom Hearts is in peril." The figure replied, unmoving and emotionless.

"Kingdom Hearts? The brown haired boy and those odd characters were talking about that in one of my dreams. I don't know who they are but I can't stop having the dreams." Noah spoke aloud; his gaze was on the floor before the figure.

"Yes. Sora is the boys' name. His counterpart is Roxas…they need your help, Noah." The figure's tone was low and slightly ominous. Noah was a little intimidated by him, considering all that he had gone through just that very night.

"Roxas? Then he's the boy that looks just like me? Why? Who are they?" Noah asked the figure, taking a step towards him.

"Don't be afraid Noah. All will become clear soon. You are the one that holds the key to the door." The figure reassured Noah.

"The key? Like the one from my dream?"

"……………….." The figure began to fade. "Don't be afraid…" He said before he vanished completely

"Wait!" Noah ran towards the figure but he didn't make it in time. The figure was gone and Noah was standing in the very spot where he had disappeared.

"Well come on then. You don't want to be left behind, do you Noah?" Kaycee poked her head in through the door.

"Noah looked a bit flustered when she popped in. He quickly drew his eyes and attention to her though as she spoke. "Wait. You didn't just hear anything, did you?" He asked her in confusion.

She raised a brow at him suspiciously. "No, hear what?"

He sighed. "Nothing, never mind."

"Are you okay Noah?" She asked him, concerned about his sudden change in behavior. "You seem tense all of a sudden."

"I'm fine, great... Just great…" He muttered, peering around the room. He then turned to her and proceeded out the door past her.

"Oh. Okay then…" She uttered in disappointment of his dismissive attitude. She then followed after him, gazing at him in wonder.

"Jeez! You two are so slow. Hurry up or we'll miss the train!" Jack yelled back at them impatiently. Riley was in agreement with Jack's impatient behavior, tapping his foot on the ground with his arms folded across his chest. He huffed in annoyance.

"We're taking the train?" Noah stupidly asked.

"Well, duh! How else are we supposed to get to the park?" Jack responded rather rudely.

Noah shot him a glare, but Jack didn't seem to notice. Kaycee pushed Jack a bit. "You don't have to be rude about it Jack. Boys! Ugh." She exclaimed with a groan.

Noah chuckled a little. Riley nudged Kaycee's shoulder with his fist, repaying her for earlier. She turned to him in slight surprise. He smiled, and she too smiled in return and giggled. "Now there's the Riley I know. I was beginning to think he'd left me."

"Never." Riley stated with a firm nod.

"So did you just wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning then Mr. Cranky-pants?" She teased, sticking her tongue out at him playfully as they waited for the train to arrive.

"That was so funny I forgot to laugh." Riley mocked.

Jack was sitting on the bench that was welded into the floor of the platform. He was bouncing his knees, anxiously awaiting the train's arrival. "Man, how long until the train gets here?" He complained.

"Stop whining you big baby. It'll be here soon." Riley told him, speaking to him as if he were five.

Jack sprang up and turned towards Riley with a sneer on his face. "I am not a baby! Don't call me that, you jerk!" He yelled at Riley angrily.

"Then stop acting like one and I won't call you one." Riley scolded.

"Boys, enough." Kaycee butted in, placing herself between the two. Whenever they started arguing, it always got ugly.

Noah just shook his head and sighed, flopping onto another nearby bench. "Here we go…" He murmured to himself, leaning back in the bench. He let his head rest on the back of the bench and gazed at the high ceiling, trying to drown out his friends and their quarrel.

"Whatcha looking at Noah?" Kaycee's face came into view before Noah's eyes as she stood over him from behind the bench, smiling cutely at him. She then turned her head to look up at the ceiling curiously.

"!" Noah shot forward to the edge of the bench in alarm, immediately contorting his body so that he could see Kaycee. "I was, uh…nothing!" He laughed nervously, having been so startled by her. He took a deep breath to calm himself down and then clear his throat and laughed a bit. "Nothing, I was just thinking." He assured her.

Kaycee giggled at the display. Noah was so strange sometimes and she was amused by that. She loved to play games with him. "What about?" She asked, tilting her head at him.

"It's nothing. I promise." He said with a smile. He then stood up, shoving his hands in the pockets of his pants.

Kaycee made a sort of frown on her face then shrugged it away. "Alright." She responded, disappointment slightly plaguing her tone. "Summer's almost over…" She changed the subject, staring across the terminal with saddened eyes. "We'll all be in different classes this year." She sighed, looking gloomy.

"What? Why?" Noah asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Haven't you been paying attention in class at all? We're moving into our profession classes this year. We'll be taking the classes that are the most closely related to the professions we're thinking of going into. That's why we all took those surveys." She replied unhappily.

"Oh…I must've forgotten." He lied, remembering exactly what she was talking about since she mentioned the surveys. "But we'll still see each other at lunch, won't we?" He asked her, trying to find some hope in the matter.

"I guess we'll see…" She sighed, leaning forward on the back of the bench, placing her elbows on the back rest, and laying her chin down in her hands. Noah had never seen her that genuinely sad before. It actually hurt to see her that way. She was always so cheerful and optimistic.

"I guess so…" Noah absent-mindedly replied, also gazing across the terminal. It was very well lit. Sunlight poured in through the skylights of the tall ceiling.

"Cheer up you two! We'll still see each other a lot!" Jack and Riley both agreed, finally letting the previous argument go. Jack approached the two and put an arm around each one's shoulder, pulling them against him. "Don't sweat it. They'll never tear us apart, right?"

"Right!" Riley chimed in, ruffling Noah's hair and then tickling Kaycee's sides a bit.

Both Noah and Kaycee laughed then turned to face their friends. "Thanks." They both responded with bright smiles.

"Here comes the train!" Jack shouted excitedly as he bounced over to the edge of the platform, gazing down the track at the oncoming train.

"Watch it dummy!" Riley called and followed after him.

Jack growled. "Hey! Who are you calling a dummy!? I'm FINE!" He yelled angrily, turning his back to the tracks to face Riley.

But before anything more was said, Riley grabbed Jack by the front of his shirt and jerked him away from the edge of the tracks, just as the train bellowed past. "You're welcome, dummy." Riley smiled, offering a hand to Jack to help him off the metal floor of the platform.

Jack took Riley's offer and grabbed his hand, pulling himself to his feet. He brushed himself off with a grunt. "Thanks…" He muttered, following Riley and the rest onto the train.

"That was a close one Jack." Noah exclaimed, nearly scared to death for his best friend's safety. As obnoxious and cocky as Jack was, he was still Noah's best friend of the group—though he loved them all very much. He didn't know what he'd do without them.

"Yeah, you need to be more careful!" Kaycee reprimanded him with a tight squeeze.

They all sat down as the train doors shut and the train slowly started to make its way down the track, picking up speed as it went. They all gazed out the windows in awe at all the different sights. There was vast open field off in every direction with mountains jutting out in the far-off distance. The sky was as blue as could be, not a cloud in sight, just the sun shining down. Silvervale's sandy colored walls and buildings slowly faded into the background as they got further and further from it. The park was a good forty minute ride.


	4. Chapter 3: A Trip Not Forgotten

Chapter 3: A Trip Not Forgotten

They knew they were drawing near as the vast, dull plains slowly turned to luscious fields of green and also trees of all types with the richest of green coloring started to take over the land. The bright sunlight gleamed on the surfaces of the deep blue lakes and ponds that randomly covered the plains on both sides of the track. Soon they were covered in the shadows of the trees, towering over the train. Their branches reached out in every direction and seemed to even make their way towards the sky, like long thin fingers reaching for space. Each branch was full of the biggest and most beautiful leaves. And suddenly the train stopped, revealing the dirt trails that led through the forest to more trails and wonders. The park was on the other side of the first part of the forest, within a decent sized clearing. They couldn't wait to get there and climb the tall towers and roam the vast corridors and swing on the giant swings. It was like a fortress, mostly deserted for not many traveled into the forest. It was very large and rather easy to get lost in…

The train whistle blew as the train came to a screeching halt at the forest path's platform. Riley and Jack left the train, bickering as they usually did. It was amazing that they could be fine with each other one moment, and at each other's throats the next.

Noah remained oblivious in his seat, gazing out the window while completely consumed by his thoughts. Kaycee bounced over to him. "Noah! What are you doing? Come on!" She urged him, tugging on the sleeve of his zip-up shirt. He jumped in his seat, startled by her. "If we don't get off the train now, there's no telling where we'll end up!" She informed him as she quickly stepped off the train onto to metal platform.

Noah stood up and turned to exit the train doors when he caught a glimpse of a dark hooded figure out of the corner of his eye on the next car over. He gasped in surprise and jerked his head in the direction of the figure, but there was no one there. "Noah! Come on already!" Jack shouted at him from the platform just as the train whistle blew again.

Noah grunted and dashed toward the doors. Just as he stepped out from the train, his foot caught the edge of the platform, tripping him. "Whoa!" He cried as he fell face-first towards the metal. As an instant reaction, Noah crossed his arms in front of his face in an attempt to shield it from harm. He never hit the platform though. His body fell right through it as if it didn't exist. It crumbled away to dust and disappeared in the air. The entire surrounding area shattered like a broken mirror, shards fell into the black abyss below that Noah was falling into. Everything turned to black.

Then suddenly, Noah plummeted head-first into water. He freaked out, thinking he was going to drown. He soon discovered that the water was breathable, like air. He kept sinking deeper and deeper in the water, wondering what was going on and when it would end.

Finally, his feet touched bottom. He frantically looked all around him. It was as if he were at the bottom of the ocean. "Could this be real?" He asked himself, taking a step forward. A blinding light shone from beneath his foot. He held an arm over his eyes and the rest of the sand below him crumbled away, turning into doves that flew off toward the surface, leaving white feathers falling all around him. He watched the doves go, realizing he had seen this before, in one of his dreams. Both Sora and Roxas experienced nearly the same situation with the water, doves, and platform.

As he looked down, he saw the platform that had been revealed. It was of two girls this time, standing with their backs to one another, separated by the same keyhole and feathers around them that he had seen on the other platform. One of the girls had dark pink hair. He'd seen her before with Sora. The other was a blonde haired girl that looked very much like Kaycee, but he'd seen her before with Roxas as well. They were Kairi and Naminé. When Noah looked around once again, the water gone, replaced by the same darkness that surrounded the other platform. The only light came from the platform itself, which was plenty to see clearly with, aside from within the blackness around the platform.

Before him, four podium stands appeared, each with a single sheet of paper upon it. Noah approached the stand farthest to the left. He picked up the paper and read it aloud. "What's most important to you? Being number one, friendship, or my prize possessions? That's easy, friendship, of course!" With that, the paper went up in flames, disappearing instantly, and with it the stand vanished as well. Noah went to the next stand and read the next question aloud. "What do you want out of life? To see rare sights, to broaden my horizons, or to be strong? I want to broaden my horizons, I think." The paper went up in flame and the stand disappeared along with it. Noah approached the next stand and grabbed the paper off of it to read. "What are you afraid of? Getting old, being different, or being indecisive? I guess I'm afraid of getting old and losing everyone." The process repeated again, the paper went up into flame and the stand was gone. Noah then went to the last stand, furthest to the right. The paper read, "You value the friendships that you make with others. You wish to broaden your horizons beyond what they are now. You're afraid of getting old and losing all that you know. This is where the new chapter of your story begins. You hold the true power in your beliefs. But don't be afraid. You are the one that will open the door to the light." The paper fell apart in his hands once he was done reading it.

A huge crack swiftly made its way through the middle of the platform, splitting it into two halves. Noah was left with one foot on each half as they started to drift apart. He tried to move himself to one of the halves, but his feet wouldn't budge. They were caught in a darkness that was creeping up from between the platforms. It grabbed a hold of his legs and pulled him in, engulfing him like quicksand. He fought to wriggle free, reaching above with a hand, but it was useless. It swallowed him. He screamed silently and struggled to free himself from the black abyss. When he opened his eyes, it was gone. He was on his back upon another platform. This one was plain; it only had a black and white design on it.

A large ray of light came down from somewhere within the abyss above the platform. Noah held his hand out into the bright beam; fingers extended, and palm facing upward. He felt nothing from the light; no warmth or comfort. He let his hand fall back at his side with a disappointed sigh. The light faded out; much like Noah's hope dwindling.

Suddenly, black bug-like creatures on two legs with empty yellow eyes appeared from shadows on the floor. They danced around from one leg to the other, swaying and twitching sporadically. There were five of them, enclosed around Noah in a circle within the center of the platform. "What are these things!?" Noah cried just as they each leapt at him from all sides. Noah used defensive maneuvers to avoid each attack. He kept dodging strategically, one after another until he stepped wrong, leaving himself open and vulnerable to attack.

One of the creatures took advantage of the opportunity and dove straight for him. Noah thought he was a goner. He quickly lifted the back of his hand up to block his face from the oncoming attack. Then, out of the palm of his hand came a bright flash of light and in it appeared a giant sword-like key. The creatures leapt back and held their ground, dancing around him at a slight distance. Noah observed the strange key in awe then noticed the change in behavior of the black creatures. He took an offensive stance, key gripped tightly in both hands, ready to strike. He braced himself.

The first creature jumped at him and he lunged forward, charging it and swinging the key combatively. He made a direct hit and the creature burst into darkness. The rest of the creatures vanished into their own shadows within the floor of the platform.

A spiral staircase appeared before Noah's eyes. It went up as far as he could see into the darkness. He took a hesitant step onto the bottom step. An image of the boy Sora and his friends running up a white spiral staircase after another friend, flashed before his eyes. "No…ah…" The voice of Kaycee echoed. Noah gasped and took off, running up and around the staircase. As he progressed up the spiral, the stairs behind him began to disappear.

The staircase seemed to go on forever. Just when Noah was beginning to doubt himself and his ambitions, he reached another platform. He panted for a bit, leaned over with his hands upon his knees. As his breathing regulated, he finally took the time to glance around the platform. He immediately drew his attention to a person, a girl, standing with her back toward him at the opposite side of the platform. She seemed to be staring out into the darkness. Noah furrowed his eyebrows and took a few cautious steps toward her. "So…ra…" She spoke at almost a whisper, though it echoed.

"I'm not Sora." Noah assured her just as she turned to face him. Her face was pale and her eyes were dull and empty. "You look like…Kairi? No, something isn't right about you. There's something wrong with this whole thing. What's going on?" He blinked and she was slowly fazing out of existence. "Uhn!" He grunted as he took a step forward, though she changed. "Kaycee!?" He ran towards her but she was shaking her head at him, and she too had dull eyes. It was as if she'd lost her will, her glimmer, her soul. Still, Noah proceeded, ignoring all the warning signs. "Kaycee!" He shouted again.

Just as he was about to reach her, a giant black creature, more human-like than the others, formed behind her from the shadows. He towered over her and Noah stopped in his tracks, staring up at the creature in sheer horror. "No…ah…" She spoke again, reaching her hand out to him. The platform shattered from beneath Noah's feet.

"Aaaahhh!" Noah screamed as he fell backwards into the black abyss.

"…But don't be afraid… You are the one who will open the door…" A low voice spoke in his mind.

"Noah!" A voice called to him but it was unclear. "Noah!" The voice repeated. It was Kaycee.

Noah's eyes shot open and he was looking at Kaycee, Riley, and Jack as they stood over him. They were at the train stations back in town. Noah looked up at them in confusions. "Thank goodness you're alright!" Kaycee cried, hugging him as he lay on his back upon the cold cement floor.

"You gave us quite a scare. You okay Noah?" Riley questioned, carefully taking hold of one of his arms.

"Yeah, we thought you were a goner for sure!" Jack joked as he took a hold of Noah's other arm and Riley punched him. "Owe! Hey!"

Noah just looked at them all, unknowing of anything that had happened really, allowing Riley and Jack to lift him to his feet. They brought him over to the bench and sat him down easily. He rubbed the back of his head and winced as pain surged through it. It ached and pounded. "W-What happened?" He asked, completely baffled.

"We're not too sure. You just fell and hit your head as far as we know. You've been out for hours. It's nearly sun-set." Riley replied calmly.

"But, the park—" Noah began then trailed off as his mind wandered and the pain in his head intensified.

Kaycee shook her head. "We never got on the train. Don't worry though, we'll go another day. 'Kay?" She smiled warmly, worried about his condition. "You just rest for now."

"We'll take you home now, bud." Jack said, giving him a light yet caring pat on the shoulder.

"Oh…okay…" Noah sighed, as if he wasn't entirely there. His mind was definitely elsewhere. That much was apparent. They took him home.


	5. Chapter 4: Sacrifice Anyone?

Chapter 4: Sacrifice Anyone?

The next day, Noah woke up before dawn again. He had trouble staying asleep. He kept dreaming about Sora and the things he and his friends had done and been through. He spent most of the night staring up at his ceiling in the dark, wondering about what was happening to him. He couldn't grasp it. Was he really destined to save this, Kingdom Hearts? He hadn't the faintest idea of what Kingdom Hearts even was, let alone what to do or even where to start.

That morning he didn't make breakfast. He didn't even eat anything. He took a shower, got dressed, and left. He hung out at the fort until dawn then made his way to the top of tallest abandoned building on the peek to watch the sunrise. Sunrise was always beautiful in Silvervale. Noah enjoyed observing different landscapes and such from tall points around town. He liked the peace and tranquility of being up so high all alone. Sunrise only made the experience that much more special, worth it, and appealing to him.

He sighed as he crossed his legs Indian-style and just gazed out over the sleeping town. It was so quiet early in the morning. Experiences such as those would definitely be something he'd miss if he left. He didn't necessarily want to get out of Silvervale, but he also really wanted to explore the world and see all the vast and different places, far and wide. He wanted to travel to the ends of the world and back. Nothing would make him happier, except, having his friends beside him along the way.

They were all heading in different directions. Though Jack and Riley always assured him that they'd always be together, Noah feared for the worst. He knew how things worked. People grow apart as time goes on. You make new friends and lose some. He was going to travel the world and write about his experiences and illustrate his books with his own sketches of landscapes and such. He was an artist at heart, with a thirst for adventure as well. Kaycee was going to be a wildlife expert, wanting to help endangered species in captivity from going extinct. Riley wanted to invent and build things. He was definitely smart enough and patient enough to create something amazing. They all truly believed in him, as well as each other. Jack, well Jack just wanted out. He never much liked being isolated in one place for long. He wanted to go places as well. He was a thrill-seeker. He was thinking of doing something along the lines of being an adventurer. He'd go make discoveries and uncover things that dwelled deep in caverns and tombs all around the world for whomever.

He figured that since both he and Noah wanted to travel, they'd travel together so at least they'd always be with each other, best friends to the end. Noah wasn't so sure though. He wanted to believe that it could happen. But he had his doubts. He never voiced them though. Whenever it was brought up, he merely smiled and nodded in agreement to whatever was said. He was much too thoughtful and loving of his friends to say anything to crush their dreams or beliefs.

After sunrise, Noah went back down to the fort to wait for the others. They'd come within a few hours. He wondered what they would do that day. Maybe they'd want to try to go to the park again? Noah was a bit wary of the idea. He'd prefer to skate down to the beach at the bottom point of town. Or maybe they could take the ferry to the amusement park and have fun there. They wanted to do all those things before summer ended after all. One could only hope. The park could surely wait.

"Noah! Noah, you there!?" Jack's voice rang out.

Noah stood up inside the fort. "That was fast." He said to himself.

The fort door flew open and Jack stood, panting in the doorway. "Come quick! You've gotta see this!" He cried before turning and bolting out again.

Noah raised a brow and shrugged, curious to see what all the fuss was about. He raced after Jack. "Where are we going, Jack!?"

"The beach!" Jack yelled in exasperation.

Once they reached the boardwalk, Jack passed out in the sand, breathing heavily. Noah was only slightly winded. He looked down at his friend. "So, what's up?" Jack merely pointed behind Noah, toward the sky above the water. Noah turned to look and was overcome with shock. His jaw dropped at the sight.

"Jack! Noah! Over here!" Riley called from further down the beach. Kaycee was clung onto his arm.

"What's happening!?" Noah shouted to Riley.

"I have no idea!" He replied.

Noah and Jack joined their friends, gazing at the sky in both awe and terror. It looked as though something made a tear right through it, and blackness was seeping out into the world. The wind began to blow wildly, towards the black abyss.

Riley pulled away from Kaycee, taking a few steps toward the waves that were violently crashing onto the beach. Kaycee tried to grab his hand to pull him back, but he only jerked his hand away. She grabbed onto Noah's arm, hugging it tightly. "I'm scared."

Noah looked at her. "I know. It's okay. Everything will be fine. I promise. Nothing will hurt you." He told her, giving her a hug then breaking away from her.

"Noah!" She cried, reaching for him.

Noah ran up beside Riley. "We have to do something to stop it." Riley stated bluntly.

"But what can we do?" Noah questioned.

"All we can do is try something, anything!" Jack shouted, approaching the two. "I'm ready. How about you guys?" He said boldly.

Without warning, the black creatures from Noah's dreams began to form all over the beach. There were tons of them, everywhere. The storm grew worse. It started to devour the sky and anything that the wind pulled into it. Kaycee screamed.

Noah whirled around to discover some black creatures surrounding her. "Hey! Get away from her!" He yelled as he charged toward the creatures.

"Noah! Kaycee!" Jack called, following after him. Riley too, chased after him. Just as they reached Noah, a ring of fire burst through the sand, enclosing the group along with the black creatures. They were dancing around the group, surrounding Kaycee for the most part. Noah grunted and gritted his teeth. He clenched his fists and stood his ground before the creatures, readying himself for attack. Jack and Riley stood with their backs to Noah, watching the creatures behind him. "What are we going to do!?" Jack shouted, clenching his own fists in frustration.

"Leave her alone!" Noah growled angrily at the creatures. They ignored him. "Come on, where is that giant key when I need it!?" He yelled out loud to himself.

Jack looked over his shoulder at Noah. "What are you talking about!?" He called back. "You're losing it man. Keep it together Noah!"

"The key from my dream!" Noah shouted back at his friend, clenching his fists tighter.

"This isn't the time for arguing or for made up fantasy keys you two!" Riley shouted over them.

Kaycee dropped to her knees in the sand, covering her head with her arms. "Help me!" She shrieked, tears flowing down her cheeks.

Noah couldn't break his promise; he refused to even allow the possibility. In doing so, he lurched forward toward the creatures that were right around Kaycee. "Get away from her!" He boomed, throwing all his weight into a punch at the nearest creature. At that moment, the giant key emerged from a flash of light that originated within his fist as it was heading for the creature. The key made contact with the back of the creature and it burst into black mist that quickly dissipated into the air.

Jack and Riley had whirled around in an attempt to grab and stop Noah but they were too late. They stood frozen in place, shocked at the sight of their friend with the giant key that caused the creature to disappear. That was the answer. They couldn't comprehend it at the time, but soon they'd know.

Kaycee too was gazing up in awe at Noah as he fended off the rest of the creatures. Once they were all gone, the key disappeared in another small burst of light within his hand. He then bent down and reached a hand out for Kaycee. "You alright?" He asked warmly.

"Uhh…" She was still a bit startled by what had happened. She grabbed his hand and allowed him to help her to her feet.

He smiled warmly at her, not letting go of her hand right away. "I told you that nothing bad would happen to you. Didn't I?"

She merely nodded and they rejoined Jack and Riley. The ring of flames had vanished as well. But the tear in the sky was still emitting darkness and sucking in the world.

"Come on guys, we have to warn everyone and stop that tear!" Noah said to the group, motioning for them to follow him back into town. They looked at each other then ran after Noah.

"So what the hell was that Noah?" Riley questioned, running alongside him. His tone was stern yet there was worry in his eyes.

"I've been having these strange dreams and illusions lately…I swear they're real though. Those creatures and that key have been in them. I'll explain later though. Right now we have to do something about all of this." Noah nodded to his friend.

Riley nodded back. "So what do you suggest? I mean, you seem to know at least a little something about this."

"Not really." Noah admitted as they stopped in the middle of the town. It was strangely empty.

"Guys, where is everyone?" Kaycee asked, scooting closer to Noah.

"Look! There!" Jack pointed toward the top of town, near their fort. They all followed suit and looked upward, stunned by what was there. The giant black human-like creature from Noah's latest dream was destroying the buildings, seemingly looking for something…or _someone_. They all gasped at the ghastly sight.

"Oh no!" Noah shrieked. His house was very close by to the creature and seemed to be right in its path. He grunted then took off running up the street toward the creature.

"Noah, don't!" Kaycee cried, reaching for him but missing his arm entirely.

"Where are you going!?" Jack yelled, chasing after his best friend.

"Guys stop!" Riley called after them. He then turned to Kaycee. "Stay here!" He demanded her then whirled around and raced after the two boys, pushing himself to run faster and faster in order to catch up to them and stop them.

"Riley! Come back guys!" Kaycee shouted both firmly and fearfully. She didn't want to be alone, but she also didn't want anything bad to happen to her friends.

Jack nearly caught up to Noah, trailing just behind him, almost within his reach. "What do you think you're doing Noah!? You're going to get yourself killed!" He growled at him angrily. He too didn't want anything bad to happen to his friends.

A flash of light burst from Noah's fist and in it formed the giant key that he had used to fend off the smaller black creatures before. Noah ignored his friends, focusing all of his attention on getting to his family on time and saving them from doom. He had no intention of dying himself, nor did he even consider the possibility. All he knew was he had been given something special and their world was turning upside-down. He had to do something about it.

Riley, though, being faster then Jack caught up to Noah just they were approaching Noah's street. He ran up alongside Noah and extended his arm toward him, reaching for his arm or shirt, or whatever he could possibly grab in order to stop his friend. He succeeded in grabbing Noah's arm, just above his elbow. He jerked him back roughly, causing his feet to fall out from under him.

Noah fell to the ground, landing with a thud on his butt. He grunted and immediately leapt to his feet. "What was that for!?" He growled fiercely at Riley, clenching the key tightly in his right hand and rubbing his butt-cheek with the other hand.

"Are you crazy!? You're going to get yourself killed!" Riley reprimanded him. "You won't be able to save anyone if you go and pull a stupid stunt like that! Think about it Noah! That thing is huge!" Riley was serious and not letting his guard down in the least…he wouldn't allow his friend to run straight to his death. He wouldn't back down.

Noah growled, gritting his teeth. Just then the creature turned toward the group and roared, causing the ground to shake and wind to whip past them. Jack gasped as the creature began bellowing towards them down the hill. Noah's eyes widened and he froze in place.

"Come on Noah!" Riley yelled at him, tugging on his sleeve. Noah didn't budge. "Come on!" He growled, pulling Noah roughly backward. Noah stumbled back a few steps then gasped, coming out of his frightened stasis. He whirled around then began racing in the opposite direction of the giant creature hurdling down the hill. Riley did the same, staying alongside his friend.

The creature roared again but stopped immediately as it reached the bottom of the hill. Jack pointed behind Riley and Noah just as they reached him. "Guys look!" They stopped short and looked over their shoulders to the creature.

"What the hell is he doing?" Riley asked aloud in confusion.

"I have no idea." Jack was equally confused, scratching his head a bit.

Noah just turned toward the creature and stared silently, expressionless, and seemingly emotionless. Everything fell silent around him, at least to him it did. It all slowed down. He had to do something. He had to stop it. But how? The key maybe? The creature was just so enormous and destructive. It seemed impossible to defeat.

Suddenly, a black cloaked figure appeared before the creature, facing the group menacingly. Noah was stunned. Riley grunted and Jack just stared, wide-eyed at the figure.

"You seem surprised to see me young Noah." The figure stated bluntly. "Did you really think I wouldn't keep my word? I told you I'd be back…I wasn't finished with you yet."

"Noah, you know this joker?" Jack asked his friend. No answer. Jack looked at the figure. "Alright, just who do you think you are messing with my best friend!?" Jack demanded of him.

"You dare to interfere, boy!?" The figure snapped, jutting forward. In an instant his gloved hand was wrapped around Jack's throat, lifting him into the air. His black hood covered his face, making him impossible to identify.

Jack choked, grabbing the figure's wrist tightly in both hands. Riley growled and lunged forward, aiming to punch the cloaked menace in the head. The figure immediately side-stepped Riley's attempt to hit him, still holding Jack within his grip. Riley stumbled past the figure and tried to counter with another punch. The figure slammed Jack to the ground in one hand and whirled around just in time to catch Riley's fist within his other. "Argh!" Riley cried out in frustration. "Noah! What are you doing!? Help us!"

Noah snapped out of his daze and panicked. "Wait, stop! Please!" He pleaded of the menace.

The figure released both the boys and stepped towards Noah, stopping a mere foot away from him. Noah looked up into the darkness where his face should've been. There was nothing there. "Take me." Noah said, trying to unlock the key again. It refused to appear for some reason. His head dropped in defeat and he held both arms out to his sides in surrender.

"Ah…so you do have some sense in you…" The figure chuckled evilly. "Come quietly now." The figure instructed, walking passed Noah and motioning for him to follow. "Your friends stay here."

"No way!" Jack protested and Riley held him back.

"Unless you want them all to die, Noah?" The figure challenged Jack's outburst.

"No!" Noah stated firmly, slowly following the menace. He looked back over his shoulder at his friends, tears welling up in his blue eyes.

"Forget them Noah. You're better off without them. They'll just hold you back." The figure sneered. He stopped just before the giant creature. It towered over Noah, gazing at him with its bright yellow eyes. It hissed and Noah winced slightly. The figure held his hands up above his head, as if conjuring something. A dark rip in the atmosphere appeared on the ground before them, brimming with purple electricity and dark mist. "Come now boy. It's time to reveal your destiny…Kingdom Hearts will be no more!" He cackled loud and sinisterly.

Noah just held his head low, feeling helpless and cold. What was he doing?

Jack broke free of Riley's grasp and charged toward Noah, the figure, and creature. The creature roared and went to charge forward to crush him, but the menace stopped him and just waited. Noah went to race forward to meet his friend but the figure lashed his arm out in front of him, stopping him. He grunted in frustration. "Jack, don't! Go back!" Noah shouted but Jack was much too thick-headed to listen and just kept coming.

"Leave him alone! Take me!" Jack yelled at the figure, stopping just before the dark portal torn thru the ground.

"Why in the universe would I take a rat like you?" The figure protested calmly.

""I'm the one with a dark heart! I want power and control! Noah's a goody-goody, a wimp, he'd never succeed! Kingdom Hearts will be mine!' Jack growled.

The figure took great interest in Jack and what had just been said by him. He looked at Noah then to Jack, gliding forward to him effortlessly. He moved around Jack, inspecting him. "Prove it." The figure finally sneered. "Give up this life and what's left of the pure portion of your heart, let the darkness and greed take over—fill it with hate and forget those that you care for the most." He chuckled.

Noah couldn't move, couldn't react, or speak. The cloaked menace had done something to him, sealed his feet to the ground with chains of darkness and bound his mouth shut with an unseen force as well.

Riley couldn't comprehend what was going on and refused to believe what his so-called _friend_ was saying. Had he betrayed them all? Or was he sacrificing himself for them? His next move would reveal his true nature and values.

Jack didn't hesitate with his answer. He lifted his arms out just as Noah did before, surrendering himself to the darkness willingly. "To the darkness." He stated as if he worshiped it blindly.

"So be it dark one. There's hope for you yet. Come." The figure went over to the tear in the ground. The creature roared and allowed itself to be consumed by the dark portal as did the figure, slowly disappearing into the darkness as if he were sinking into quicksand. Jack followed after, not turning back to see Riley. He stood upon the portal and slowly sank into it, locking his gaze onto Noah which had turned to ice. This was not the Jack they knew.

Just as Jack was almost fully submerged, Noah broke free and shouted for his best friend. "Jack, come back!" But just as Noah reached the dark portal, it obliterated and he was thrown back to Riley. He grunted in pain, kneeling. "Jack…" He murmured unhappily.

--

Just thought I'd finally give my own input, being the author of this fic and all :P

I do plan on adding tons more over time…I just hope I get some feedback soon… It's really discouraging when no one says anything after reading. I never know what my readers like or dislike, what I should consider to change or take into consideration for the future. I wrote part of another fic a long time ago but my muse for that died…although a lot of people liked it. So tell me what you think so far, please? Thanks to all that take the time to read and/or review/comment. Just thought I'd take the time to say something myself.


	6. Chapter 5: Discovering the Kingdom

**A/N: Sorry for the shortness of this chapter in comparison to my previous ones...I'm very busy right now with graduation nearing and my moving out on my own--into the _real world_. Scary I know. Nah, I'll be fine. Getting my life together has been the best thing for me thus far, so moving forward will only help things along hopefully. Enjoy and it may be a little while before the next chapter is up. **

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Chapter 5: Discovering the Kingdom

"What just happened!?" Riley yelled aloud as the wind picked up again.

"I-I don't know…" Noah replied though his mind wasn't entirely there.

"We've got to get back to Kaycee! We'll find Jack, come on Noah." Riley responded, pulling Noah to his feet by his arm. They ran back toward the beach. They had left Kaycee a few blocks behind to try and keep her out of harm's way.

When Kaycee was in sight Riley picked up his speed but Noah stopped him. "Look." Noah nodded his head toward Kaycee. "That's not Kaycee."

"What do you mean it's not her!?" Riley yelled at him angrily and defensively.

Noah pointed. "Look at her eyes. Those eyes don't belong to the Kaycee we know."

A sinister laugh sounded from behind the girl and out of the darkness stepped the cloaked figure again. He placed his hand upon the girl's shoulder. "Very good, Noah. You catch on quickly. Oh, don't worry about Kaycee. She's been placed in the safety of a hibernation chamber. Her heart and memories will prove to be very helpful to our cause in time. Kingdom Hearts will falter to the darkness once and for all. Your friend, Jack, will be a key player in this hand. Will you play with what you've been dealt? Are you willing to let go? Do you really believe you'll be able to save the ones you care for? I think he's right personally, you're scared and weak. Heh. Look at you; you can barely stand. Some _hero_." The figure mocked him as his knees shook and nearly buckled beneath him.

The figure and the girl were consumed by the cloud of darkness that was progressively swallowing the world. His sinister laugh rang out as they disappeared. It sent shivers running down Noah's spine and Riley screamed out angrily. "NO!! KAYCEE!!" He dropped to his knees in defeat, losing almost all hope.

"He lies." Noah muttered in a bitter tone.

Riley looked to him. "What?" He asked dumbfounded.

"It's not true. Kaycee is fine, but not with him. He doesn't even know where she is. We have to find her before he does."

"How the hell do you know!? What aren't you telling me Noah!?" Riley shot to his feet and grabbed Noah's arm roughly, turning him around forcefully.

"Hey! Calm down, I'm on your side!" Noah assured him, pulling free of his tight grip. "I don't know how I know. I just do. You have to trust me!" Noah continued in a somewhat firm tone. "I'm your friend Riley. We have to stick together. Who knows what can happen?"

Riley sighed and his head dropped. "I'm sorry Noah…" Riley apologized" sincerely. "It's just…if anything happens to her—"

"We'll find her! Nothing bad will happen to her, I promise. I promised…" Noah replied, cutting off Riley mid-sentence.

"What about Jack?" Riley questioned, his tone riddled with distaste of the traitorous name.

"One thing at a time. I'm sure we'll be seeing Jack again. We'll figure it out then. For now we have to find a tear or portal or something that will take us to the world they're in." Noah began searching for a way out and Riley followed suit. They remained silent for a long time while the world around them was continually being consumed by darkness.

Out of no where, Riley yelled. "Look out!" He pointed behind Noah then reached for his hand in order to try and run and escape.

Noah turned just after a monstrous tidal wave had formed and begun traveling over the beach and streets toward them. He turned and went to run but the wave was much too fast. In an instant the wave came crashing down, engulfing both Noah and Riley and dragging them under in the current.

They fought their way to the surface, gasping for air and desperately trying to stay above the water. They kept getting dragged down repeatedly and over and over again they fought their way to the surface, paddling wildly. The water took them through some streets of the town which had been nearly reduced to ruin. They plunged through an alleyway and were slammed into 2 large white doors. The water drained away and they were left choking and gasping upon the wet ground.

The door was completely out of place. They were serene and almost cathedral-like…placed upon a dank concrete wall. Their edges shone bright white, welcoming light.

Noah shivered and coughed a few times, breathing heavily. He slowly got to his feet, examining the door in wonder. Riley coughed violently for a few moments then swallowed hard and lifted his head to look at the door as well.

"I think these doors will take us to the world where the cloaked figure and Jack are." Noah mumbled slightly, wiping some droplets from his forehead.

"And Kaycee?" Riley asked, getting to his feet.

"She might be there too. It's worth a shot right?" Noah replied, looking at Riley.

Riley sighed and nodded, stepping forward. Noah put his arm out in front of Riley, to stop him. "Hmm?"

"Let me go first." Noah said, stepping in front of Riley.

Riley scoffed slightly then shook his head and gestured for Noah to go ahead. He wasn't pleased though. He was just upset so Noah let him be as best he could.

Every muscle in Noah's body tensed up as Noah took a step toward the door. Riley was watching him warily. Who knew what could be behind that door? Noah held his breath as he reached for the doorknobs, slowly grasping them. He tried to turn them, but they wouldn't budge. "Huh?" Noah was confused. These were the doors from his dream, the ones the voice had talked about. He was _supposed_ to go through them…but they wouldn't open.

"What's wrong?" Riley asked.

"They won't open." Noah replied, looking back at Riley unhappily.

Riley stepped forward. "Let me try." He reached for the knobs. Before he could wrap his hands around them, the white light grew brighter, almost blinding. Riley and Noah both had to shield their eyes with their arms. "Argh! What's going on?"

"I don't know!" Noah nearly shrieked. When the light returned to its normal brightness, a large keyhole symbol was left on the doors. Noah gazed at it in awe. He reached up and let his fingers glide over the texture of the door, solid and smooth. "A keyhole?" He asked aloud. A light went off in his head all of a sudden. "The key!" He shouted, opening his right hand. The white light shone onto his palm and in it formed the key.

"Great! Now what?" Riley crossed his arms over his chest impatiently.

"Lets see…if I do this—" Noah began, lining the key up with the large keyhole. A loud click resonated in the alley and the white doors unlocked and flew open with a burst of sparkling white light. The key then disappeared and both Noah and Riley were left standing before the majestic doors, mouths slightly agape.

"How did you?" Riley asked a few moments later, still gazing through the doors.

"I just knew that's what needed to be done…I have no idea how." Noah responded after composing himself. He stepped into the doorway, squinting to try and see through the bright white light.

"I'm right behind you buddy." Riley reassured him, giving him a nudge to urge him forward. "Light can't be bad right?" He chuckled nervously.

"Sure…" Noah mumbled, completely unsure of what could happen. He walked through the doors into the light and Riley followed after him. The doors shut behind them and disappeared right before their eyes. They were standing in an all white atmosphere, unknowing of what to do or what to expect…or where to go from there.

It didn't take long for something to happen. Out of no where the floor opened up and they plunged into darkness, shrieking and yelling. All their senses were useless. Before they knew it, they had blacked out themselves.

Noah awoke sitting on cold dank stone, leaning upright with his back against a concrete wall. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust. It was dark, everything, but a small street lamp on the corner that faintly illuminated the area surrounding it. Noah groaned. "What happened?" He rubbed the back of his head then slowly got to his feet, feeling drained. "Where am I?" He questioned aloud, searching for anything familiar or something that could tell him what he wanted to know.

He stood under the street light, peering into the darkness. "Riley!?" he called out, remembering that his friend had tumbled through the floor as well. He kept himself from growing frantic though. That wouldn't solve anything. He needed to stay calm, in control. He needed answers.

He wandered through the darkness for some time, trying to make heads and tails of the strange place. He finally stumbled upon another street light next to a post box and a sign that read: Traverse Town. "Traverse Town? Where's that? I've never heard of it…where am I?"


End file.
